- “"I am the one who is willing to do what it takes to seize my moment! Whatever it takes.”
- ―Ernesto de la Cruz to Miguel Rivera
Ernesto de la Cruz is the main antagonist of the nineteenth Pixar film, Coco.
Biography[]
Past[]
At some point during his childhood, Ernesto met Hector Rivera, who would become his best friend and later musical partner. Some time later, both entered the music industry and began to spread their music throughout Mexico, obtaining a good audience and conquering the hearts of the citizens.
However, Ernesto and Hector soon had an argument when Hector wanted to return to his home with his wife Imelda and his daughter Coco. Ernesto insisted that he not leave since they have not yet reached "their" dream, and desperately says that he cannot do it without the songs of his friend. However, this didn't change Hector's mind, who remained firm in his decision to come back. He also tells Ernesto that this was his dream, and that he will be able to fulfill it without his help, which angered Ernesto.
Them, Ernesto pretends to support Hector's decision, and secretly poisoning his drink, asking him for a toast before he left and assuring him that he would "move heaven and earth for him". Hector drank the drink, not knowing that it was poisoned. This took effect while Ernesto accompanied Hector to the train station. Once Hector dies from the poison, Ernesto sees this as an opportunity to appropriate Hector's guitar and songs, passing them off as his own. With this, Ernesto soon gained a reputation in the music industry and became one of the most famous musicians in the history of Mexico. He even also became a famous actor and writer who appeared in many movies.
He was also cheeky enough to include his memory of Hector's poisoning in one of his films, in which he is the betrayed and the person acting alongside him the poisoner, mimicking all the dialogue from their talk. He also did not inform Hector's family of his death, falsifying the facts and citing his death as "food poisoning". This caused Imelda to assume that Hector abandoned his family, not knowing that he really wanted to return, and indirectly led to her instigating a music ban for the Riveras and establishing a shoe-making hobby as a family business.
Personality[]
While he may seem as a charming and charismatic man, Ernesto de la Cruz is deep down bitter, cruel, and a downright sociopath. Ernesto was actually selfish and desperate in life to the point of being a rank opportunist. His ambition drove him to murdering his best friend Héctor, who wanted to go home to his family, and subsequently steal his songbook and guitar to achieve fame and glory. He was even arrogant enough to hide this secret in one of his films, which led to his exposure and eventual downfall.
Leaving behind a profound legacy after his death, Ernesto was determined to maintain this and was willing to go to malicious lengths (his murders even more darker after he died) to keep his image alive. Even Miguel, a boy who greatly idolized him and was supposedly his own blood, was seen as a liability to the extent that he would resort to murdering the child to hide his secret, with no remorse whatsoever for his heinous acts; staring coldly after Miguel when he sent him falling to his death and nonchalantly passing off the grief the action had on the late Rivera family while giving the helpless Héctor (Miguel's true ancestor) a cruel apology.
While Miguel, Héctor, and Imelda had great passions for music and (despite their flaws from them) stronger values in family, de la Cruz had none of these qualities; only using music to gain popularity and willing to kill or use those he had close relationships with to get it. As such, he is a dark parallel to Héctor and of what Miguel might have become if he had followed Ernesto's path.
When his actions were revealed and his former fans turned on him, Ernesto could only be silently distraught to realize he had lost everything he worked for as he was condemned for his vile nature.
Ernesto was also, in contrast to his suave appearance and daring movie roles, a filthy coward. This was shown when Héctor, despite their differing skeletal structures and his declining condition, furiously attacked him after realizing Ernesto's hand in his death and later fleeing confrontation with an angered Rivera family, calling his security guards for these instances. Also, when Pepita confronts him for the crimes he committed against the family, Ernesto was left pathetically screaming and begging the alebrije to release him unharmed.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Ernestohas his crimes recorded by something else, similar to Bellwether and Waternoose from Zootopia and Monsters Inc respectively.
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